Western Tailed-Blue
Cupido amyntula (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Identification: Narrow tail on hindwing. Upperside of male blue, female brown with blue at wing base. Underside white with black spots indistinct or lacking; single small orange spot near tail.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 2.9 cm).
Life History: Males patrol and perch during the day. Females lay eggs on flowers or young seedpods of host plant. Caterpillars eat young seeds inside the pod, where they overwinter and pupate.
Flight: March-July. Several broods in southern California, a partial second brood in the southern Rocky Mountains, and one brood elsewhere.
Caterpillar Hosts: Legumes with inflated pods including false lupine (Thermopsis), milkvetch (Astragalus), crazyweed (Oxytropis), and vetches (Vicia and Lathyrus).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Open - usually native - areas with low shrubs including chaparral, meadows, and open woodland.
Range: Alaska south through western North America and all western mountains to northern Baja California, east across Canada's prairie provinces to northern Michigan, Ontario, and the Gaspé Peninsula.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
Alternate Scientific Names:
Everes amyntula
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 668 verified sightings
Observation date: May 28, 2019
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 22, 2021
Observation date: Jun 12, 2021
Submitted by: tjay13
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 11, 2021
Observation date: May 22, 2019
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 31, 2021
Observation date: Aug 04, 2021
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Trinity County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 07, 2021
Observation date: Jun 18, 2014
Submitted by: bshettler
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Jul 26, 2021
Observation date: Jul 06, 2021
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Summit County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 25, 2021
Observation date: Jul 17, 2021
Submitted by: rebeccagracey
Region: Torrance County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 24, 2021
Observation date: Jun 14, 2021
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 19, 2021
Observation date: Jun 17, 2021
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 19, 2021
Observation date: Jun 08, 2021
Submitted by: topper72
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 15, 2021
Observation date: May 30, 2021
Submitted by: topper72
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 14, 2021
Observation date: May 07, 2021
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 09, 2021
Observation date: May 09, 2021
Submitted by: sarabseth
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 09, 2021
Observation date: Apr 28, 2021
Submitted by: Varn
Region: Jefferson County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Apr 29, 2021
Observation date: Jul 07, 2018
Submitted by: DMS
Region: Douglas County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 29, 2021
Observation date: Apr 24, 2021
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 25, 2021
Observation date: Apr 10, 2021
Submitted by: Shearwater13
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 13, 2021
Observation date: Apr 10, 2021
Submitted by: guy_incognito
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 11, 2021
Observation date: May 04, 2017
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Eagle County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Apr 09, 2021
Observation date: Jun 17, 2017
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Park County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Mar 05, 2021
Observation date: Feb 26, 2021
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 01, 2021
Observation date: Feb 26, 2021
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 01, 2021
Observation date: Jun 13, 2020
Submitted by: WYbutterflyer1
Region: Albany County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 09, 2021
Observation date: Jul 04, 2020
Submitted by: WYbutterflyer1
Region: Carbon County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 08, 2021
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